Communique Welcomes Incoming MA Students

Communiqué, the departmental graduate student association, sponsored an orientation and reception to welcome new Master’s students entering fall 2003. The event was held on Tuesday September 2 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm on the 10th floor of Sprau Tower, Kalamazoo campus.
The orientation program provided students with information about the Communication program, Western Michigan University, and the city of Kalamazoo. Following a welcome by Communiqué president Chris Groscurth and brief remarks from departmental chair, Dr. Steve Rhodes, and director of graduate studies, Dr. Leigh Ford, a panel of second year graduate students shared their varied experiences as graduate students in the department. Angela Prater, Nancy Wallace, Cornelius Fair, Rickey Ainsworth, and Erin Czelada provided the new graduate students with tips and survival strategies for coping with the rigors of graduate study.
Later in the evening faculty members in attendance shared their research interests. This introduction to research activities in the department provided students with the opportunity to identify persons in the department studying areas of communication that may coincide with their particular communication research interests.
A reception for faculty and students followed the orientation. Now in its third year this event has become an important part of the orientation for incoming students to the WMU communication graduate program.